Appendix 2 – Site Descriptions for 94 High Conservation Value Eastern Hemlock Forests in Ontario within 50 km of Lakes Erie and Ontario Conserving Southern Ontario’s Eastern Hemlock Forests, Appendix 2, Research Report No. 38, [email protected] Values Definitions: OG - Old-growth forest MF - Mature forest / entering old-growth stage CF - Contiguous forest tracts or connected to natural heritage network SRE - High scenic, recreational, or educational value UF - Urban forest REP - Representation value: ANSI, Nature Reserve, candidate reserve IBA - Important birding area (IBA) ESA - Recognized environmentally significant area, heritage woodland, signature site RW - Riparian, waterfront or wetland forest SL - Slope stabilization RS - Rare species Name Lat Long Ha Land Use Values Public References Description Designation Access 1=best 4=worst Altona Forest 43.8286 -79.1379 53 TRCA land MF,UF, 1 Wake 1997 This is a mature woodland, including communities ESA dominated by white cedar and sugar maple-hemlock communities. Balls Falls 43.1340 -79.3810 20 Conservation OG,SRE, 1 Bert Miller Hemlock-northern hardwood forest, with inspiring pristine Gorge (Twenty Area RW,SL, Nature Club forest in a spectacular gorge. Kershner (2004) reports ring Valley) RS 2003, counts of hemlocks up to 330 years. Red mulberry occurs. Kershner 2004 Beamers Falls 43.1866 -79.5702 <1 Conservation OG,SRE, 2-3 Bert Miller Only a small pocket of old-growth forest remains in the gorge Gorge Area IBA,RW, Nature Club due to aggressive logging in the early 1900s. This and the SL 2003, old-growth hardwood forest above it at Grimsby Point, Kershner complement cliff-face ancient cedars, and spectacular views, 2004 making this one of Ontario's premier scenic treasures Beattie Pinery 44.123 -79.860 80 Provincial MF,REP Larson et al. The most mature, least disturbed woodland remaining in the Nature ,ESA 1999 Alliston Sand Plain. Trees reach 100+ years. Hemlocks are Reserve mostly small-mid diameter. Big Creek 42.6413 -80.5406 455 ANSI, MF,CF, 4 Lindsay 1981, The north-facing valley slopes and tributary ravines support Floodplain Carolinian REP,ESA Carolinian mixed forests of hemlock with white pine, yellow birch, red Canada ,RW,SL Canada 2017 maple and beech in good condition. The south and east- Signature facing slopes are wooded with sugar maple and some beech Site and hemlock. Conserving Southern Ontario’s Eastern Hemlock Forests, Appendix 2, Research Report No. 38, [email protected] Big Otter Creek 42.8333 -80.7447 647 ANSI MF,CF, 4 Lindsay 1981, A large, relatively intact, natural corridor follows the deeply REP,RW IBA Canada incised, meandering valley of Big Otter Creek for about 7 km ,SL,RS 2017 south from Tillsonburg. The east and north-facing slopes and tributary ravines tend to be dominated by hemlock with some yellow birch and red maple. The valleys of two tributaries South Creek and Moore's Creek-are included. Hemlock slopes which contain some sugar maple, beech and yellow birch; mixed deciduous-hemlock forests, and sycamore-willow-aspen floodplains are examples of the vegetation. It is estimated that more than 20 pairs of Louisiana waterthrush (nationally vulnerable) are nesting in the upper Big Otter Creek valley, from just south of Tillsonburg upstream to Otterville. Bolton 43.8855 -79.7878 973 TRCA Land OG,CF, 1 Henry and Several pockets of old-growth hemlock occur within and resource SRE,RW Quinby 2019 adjacent to the Bolton Resource Management Tract, along management ,SL the Humber Valley Heritage Trail. Visual characteristics Tract (Humber suggest the hemlocks are commonly 130-200 years old, but Valley) some have characteristics of older trees, one is estimated at 250-300 years old. Boyd 43.8188 -79.5823 57 Life Science MF,UF, 3-4 NHIC 2016, This site includes the northeast corner of Boyd Conservation Conservation ANSI, REP,RW TRCA 2012 Area and the uplands immediately adjacent to its east side. It Area And Provincial ,SL is characterized by flat uplands flanking a steep-sided flat Adjacent Lands bottomland valley. Dense, semi-mature to mature hemlock forests occurs (NHIC). Fresh-Moist Hemlock Coniferous Forest (FOC3-1) occurs on the northeast aspect of the East Humber River Valley, at 43.806, -79.584, while Fresh Moist Hemlock – Hardwood Mixed Forest (FOM6-2) occurs on floodplain terraces south of Langstaff Rd (43.802, -79.582 and 43.798, -79.580). TRCA 2012 Boye's 43.0364 -79.3757 120 Mostly OG,ESA, 4 NPCA 2010 Mixed Swamp habitat in this study area is characterized by a Explosive's - private RW species rich hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis) - Yellow birch Fenwick (Betula alleghaniensis) community which grades into Red Forests Maple (Acer rubrum) swamp on some upland edges. Bridgeview 43.3009 -79.8952 67 Life Science MF,UF, 4 NHIC 2016, Bridgview Valley is a deep, narrow, steep-sided ravine which Valley site, ESA ESA,RW Halton runs south from the Escarpment, and contains a tributary to ,SL Region and Grindstone Creek. The east bank supports a good quality North-South maturing forest of maple, oak and hickory in the south and Environment hemlock to the north al 2005 Conserving Southern Ontario’s Eastern Hemlock Forests, Appendix 2, Research Report No. 38, [email protected] Bronte Creek 43.4111 -79.7585 196 Life Science OG,CF, 2 NHIC 2016, A narrow deep winding gorge cut through shale and till plain Provincial Park ANSI, SRE,UF, Halton characterizes Bronte Creek area. The parks 30 m high steep Nature Reserve Provincial, REP,ESA Region and slopes are vegetated with hemlock-white birch-white cedar, Zone Provincial ,RW,SL North-South sugar maple and yellow oak-red oak-white oak. Park Environment al 2005 Brookbanks 43.751 -79.330 17 ESA, MF,SRE, 2 North-South Deciduous forest dominated by sugar maple, American Ravine Municipal UF,ESA, Environment beech and hemlock along the steep slopes of a ravine, to a Park RW al 2012; AFER bottomland dominated by lowland forest. Access is via 2016 Deerlick Creek Trail. Much of the hemlock is off-trail (but accessed by commonly used informal trails). Ring counts of cut tree gives a minimum age of 140. Cavan Creek 44.1926 -78.5347 1601 Candidate CF,RW 3-4 NHIC 2016 Primary headwaters (714 ha (1765 acres)) of Cavan Creek. Headwaters Life Science Open pond, cattail-alder-grasses marsh, alder-willow-cedar ANSI, scrub swamp, cedar-hemlock-white birch-trembling aspen- Regional cedar-white pine upland woodland. Good coldwater trout stream (brown trout). Charleston 44.5066 -76.028 Provincial MF,CF, 1 AFER 2017, Sugar maple, beech, paper birch, hemlock, red oak and white Lake Provincial Park SRE,RW Friends of pine are the most abundant tree species in the park. The Park Charleston Hemlock Ridge Trail leads through rock crevices, and dense Lake Park hemlock and white pine forest with views over wetlands and 2017 hemlock trees up to 120 years old. Collins Lake 44.3584 -76.4515 70 Private. Life OG,CF, 3 White 1990, “This is the least disturbed old forest stand seen in Eastern Science ANSI, REP,RW NHIC 2016, Region in this study or in the author's previous field Provincial Lindsay, 1986 experience of nearly 20 years. Its large size, location along an undisturbed marshy shoreline of Collins Lake, and range of moisture and composition, add to its representative value.” White, 1990. A mature example of maple-beech -hemlock upland forest on a mesic, sandy loam site. Other vegetation and site types present. [Lindsay, 1986] Crawford Lake 43.471 -79.927 664 Private / CF, ESA, 1-2 Halton The Escarpment forests in this area are mature hardwoods - Rattlesnake public - HRCA REP, RS, Region and and hemlock, situated on shallow loam soils overlying Point Conservation SRE, North-South fissured dolomite bedrock. Ancient cedar forests occur on Escarpment Area MF, OG Environment the escarpment. Includes a provincially significant Life Woods al 2005 Science ANSI, Crawford Lake - Milton Outlier Valley. Credit River At 43.5532 -79.6618 248 Life Science MF,CF, 1 NHIC, Wake Steep, wooded river valley and floodplain stretching 6 km in Erindale ANSI, UF,REP, 1997 length, south of Streetsville. River floodplain Manitoba Regional, RW maple-willow-black maple, valley slope sugar maple- hemlock-beech and sugar maple-red oak-black cherry and Conserving Southern Ontario’s Eastern Hemlock Forests, Appendix 2, Research Report No. 38, [email protected] Municipal tableland white oak-white pine. Eastern hemlock and white Park cedar occurs on the east-facing slopes Decew Falls 43.109 -79.264 11 Privately OG,SRE, 3 Cheskey Decew Falls and Gorge "includes one kilometre of and Gorge owned? But IBA,RW, 2003, spectacular gorge that cuts north through the escarpment. a priority for SL,RS Kershner At times the gorge walls are over 40 metres in depth. To the acquisition to 2004 south, above the 20 metre waterfall, are the Fonthill Kame add to Short uplands and valleys. The slopes are heavily forested with Hills hemlock, maple, and oak" (Cheskey 2003). Kershner (2004) Provincial aged a variety of trees including hemlock to over 260 years. Park Delaware 42.9038 -81.4164 35 Life Science REP,ESA 2 NHIC 2016 Fifty ha of steep ridges adjacent to Thames River floodplain. Woodlot ANSI, ,RW,RS Hardwood uplands dominated by beech-sugar maple-ash Regional. and red oak-white oak-basswood-witch hazel with black Private land? walnut-black maple-blue beech. Flowering dogwood and blue ash occur here. Hemlock-yellow birch forest occurs. Area can be access via Thames Valley Trail (access at Pleasant St turnaround) Delhi Big Creek 42.815 -80.507 259 ANSI, MF,CF, 4 Eagles & Eastern hemlock grows on the drier slopes. The best example Valley Carolinian REP,RW Beechey of this type of forest occurs on the west side of the river Canada ,RS 1985, where a large spring-fed creek flows into the main river by a Signature Ambrose and small waterfall.